Solo-Friendly Napoleonic Campaign Systems Ranked

Which systems give you the best mix of historical immersion, replayability, and ease of play—when flying solo?

Napoleonic Campaign Systems can be a real joy for history buffs and tabletop generals alike—but what if you’re playing solo? Fortunately, there’s a growing number of systems that offer a satisfying experience without needing a second opponent or umpire.

Below, we rank the top solo-friendly Napoleonic campaign systems based on three key factors:

Understanding Napoleonic Campaign Systems

Ease of Setup & Play (solo usability)
Historical Flavor
Battle Integration (especially tabletop-compatible ones like Black Powder, General d’Armee, etc.)

🥇 1. Wellington’s War (Clash of Arms Games)

Best For: Immersive solo operations in the Peninsular War
Why It’s Great:
This operational-level campaign puts you in command of Anglo-Portuguese forces against the French in Spain. The fog of war, logistics, and strategic decisions make this one deeply immersive.

Solo Usability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Designed with solitaire in mind)
Historical Flavor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Battle Integration: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Can link to tabletop battles via scenario conversion)

📌 Tip: Use tabletop rules like “Eagles to Glory” or “LaSalle 2” to fight out key battles from the campaign map.

🥈 2. Campaigns of Napoleon (Decision Games)

Best For: Strategic decision-making with grand historical scope
Why It’s Great:
A strategic-level game that’s ideal for high-level planning, Campaigns of Napoleon is turn-based, easy to track, and lends itself well to a structured solo campaign.

Solo Usability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Historical Flavor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Battle Integration: ⭐⭐⭐ (Requires extra effort to translate into tabletop action)

📌 Note: Somewhat abstract, but it gives a clear operational structure that’s perfect for creating your own mini-campaigns.

🥉 3. Soldier Emperor (GMT Games)

Best For: Players wanting a multiplayer board game adapted for solo play
Why It’s Great:
Although designed as a multiplayer experience, Soldier Emperor adapts surprisingly well to solitaire play with hidden objective mechanics and a strategic map of Europe.

Solo Usability: ⭐⭐⭐
Historical Flavor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Battle Integration: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Abstract combat can be replaced with tabletop battles)

📌 Suggestion: Use cards and random events to inspire narrative side-missions for your tabletop units.

🏅 4. Et Sans Résultat! Campaign System (The Wargaming Company)

Best For: Dedicated miniatures players using ESR rules
Why It’s Great:
This system is built from the ground up for tabletop miniatures campaigns and includes orders of battle, maps, and campaign scenarios.

Solo Usability: ⭐⭐⭐
Historical Flavor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Battle Integration: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (It is the main event)

📌 Note: Some elements may feel dry solo without narrative injection—but perfect for wargamers who love building OOBs and terrain.

🧩 5. Matrix-Style Campaigns (DIY/Umpired)

Best For: Creative players who want flexible campaign storytelling
Why It’s Great:
While not a boxed product, matrix campaigns are a framework that combine narrative choices, loose dice-based mechanics, and umpire-style decision-making. Usually, the campaign maps use a ‘point-to-point’ or a grid movement system to track units on the board. Solo players can adapt this to their own liking, often with Excel, index cards, or journaling.

Solo Usability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Historical Flavor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Depends on the effort you put in)
Battle Integration: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

📌 Tip: Check out the Too Fat Lardies campaign guides for inspiration—they often combine narrative and historical detail in a solo-friendly way. Also, Sam Mustafa’s Blucher game has an excellent campaign system, Scharnhorst, that you should also check out. And, one of the latest Napoleonic tabletop rules sets, Eagles to Glory, include some campaign management options.

⚙️ Honorable Mentions:

Field of Glory: Napoleonic Campaigns (Slitherine Games) – A digital option with strategic AI opponents.
Napoleon’s War: The 100 Days (Worthington Games) – Card-driven and well-suited for small solo campaigns.
Solo Peninsular Campaign (Virtual Tabletop Wargames) – Keep an eye out for our upcoming free campaign map and ruleset tailored for solo play using your own miniatures!

Final Thoughts

Solo wargaming isn’t just a backup plan—it’s a legitimate and often deeply fulfilling way to enjoy Napoleonic campaigns. Whether you’re navigating the hills of Spain or pushing counters across Europe, these systems offer something for every type of player.

Want to try one out? Start small: pick a system, write a short narrative intro, and set up your tabletop for a single skirmish. From there, let the campaign unfold.

💬 What’s Your Favorite Solo Napoleonic Campaign System?

Drop your thoughts in the comments—or share photos of your solo setup and campaign logs. We love seeing how you bring history to life on the tabletop.